CVE-2014-8169: Medium severity red hat enterprise linux desktop vulnerability
automount 5.0.8, when a program map uses certain interpreted languages, uses the calling user's USER and HOME environment variable values instead of the values for the user used to run the mapped program, which allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse program in the user home directory.
Other sources
The Georgia Institute of Technology reports:
When a program map uses an interpreted languages like python it's possible to load and execute arbitray code from a user home directory. This is because the standard environment variables are used to locate and load modules when using these languages.
To avoid that we need to add a prefix to these environment names so they aren't used for this purpose. The prefix used is "AUTOFS" and is not configurable.
— Red Hat
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2014-8169?
CVE-2014-8169 has a medium severity rating, allowing local users to gain elevated privileges.
How do I fix CVE-2014-8169?
To fix CVE-2014-8169, update the automount package to a version that addresses the vulnerability, such as 5.0.9 or later.
Which systems are affected by CVE-2014-8169?
CVE-2014-8169 affects Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.0, openSUSE 13.1, and 13.2, among other versions.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2014-8169?
CVE-2014-8169 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability that exploits environment variable handling.
Can remote attackers exploit CVE-2014-8169?
No, CVE-2014-8169 can only be exploited by local users on the affected systems.